


Gold at the Bottom of the Sea

by TheseusInTheMaze



Category: Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (TV 2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Denial of Feelings, F/F, Loss of Virginity, Marriage of Convenience, Pining, Wedding Night
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:21:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25657336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheseusInTheMaze/pseuds/TheseusInTheMaze
Summary: Sabrina has a proposal.
Relationships: Sabrina Spellman/Mary Wardwell | Madam Satan | Lilith
Comments: 18
Kudos: 134
Collections: Rare Pairs Exchange 2020





	Gold at the Bottom of the Sea

**Author's Note:**

  * For [JediAnnieScrambler](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JediAnnieScrambler/gifts).



> I hope you have as much fun reading this as I had writing it!

"We should get married," Sabrina said, over her strawberry milkshake. 

"What," said Lilith. She was staring at Sabrina with a slightly bug eyed expression, her eyes wide, her mouth dropped open. 

"We should get married," Sabrina repeated. She leaned forward, her elbows on the table, and nearly upended the milkshake. "I know that all the legions and kingdoms of Hell have been giving you trouble -"

"I can handle it," Lilith said stiffly. 

"And," Sabrina plowed on, "if we were married you could rule in my stead, and so they'd stop jostling for me to come sit on the throne. And I _know_ that you've been complaining about all the Dukes and Archons trying to court you -"

"Me being married won't make them stop," Lilith said dryly. "Demons aren't exactly known for respecting the bonds of wedlock."

" _But_ ," Sabrina continued, "you'd have some plausible deniability. And they might lay off since they don't want to get on my bad side by trying anything with my wife."

"So I'd have the throne by dint of marrying you?" Lilith rested an elbow on the table, put her chin on her palm. "How is that any different from what your father offered me?'

"Well, for one," said Sabrina, "He never married you. And I'd actually deliver. You know I deliver on my promises."

Lilith arched one perfect eyebrow, but she nodded. 

"And… you'll have the throne. As my equal. Not as a servant or… or anything else. We'll be equals. Co-rulers of Hell." Sabrina gave an emphatic nod, as if she was sealing a deal. 

"I'll still have the throne because it's been gifted to me by a Morningstar," Lilith said. She still looked unimpressed, but then again, she usually did. 

"You had that anyway," said Sabrina. "My father said he would give it to you, and then I gave it to you."

"What about Nick?" Lilith drummed her fingers on the tabletop. Her nails were painted a deep, dark red, like some internal organ. 

Sabrina's face fell, and she cleared her throat. "Well," she said, and there was only a little bit of a waver in her voice, "as sad as it is… he agreed to keep my father imprisoned. And he has.' 

"It's only been two years," Lilith pointed out. "Things may change."

"Another reason for us to get married," Sabrina said promptly. "Stability."

"Why not just appoint me as your co-monarch?"

"Has that ever been done, in the history of Hell?" Sabrina took a sip of her milkshake - the slurp seemed very loud in the quiet of the empty cafe. 

"There's only ever been your father ruling, and then me, by proxy for you," said Lilith. 

"But marriage is old magic," Sabrina said. "I've been reading up on it. It's got history. Binding. They'll respect that."

"Are you sure you don't just want to marry me?" Lilith snapped. 

Sabrina flushed, all the way down her neck. Lacking anything else to do, she plucked the strawberry off of the rim of her glass and took a bite. It was juicy enough that it dripped down her chin, and she made a flustered noise, dabbing at it with her napkin. "I just think it would make things easier," she mumbled. 

Lilith was still looking at her, expression inscrutable. 

"I… don't think I want to date anymore," Sabrina said. "After what happened with Nick, I don't think I'm ready to have my heart broken like that again. And I've gone out with a few boys.and it was just…" She trailed off.

"So you want to settle for _me_?" Lilith was frowning now. 

"No, no," Sabrina said quickly, and then she groaned, leaning back into her seat. "Nobody else... understands," she said. "Not what it's like to be…" She trailed off. "You know?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Lilith said, then: "have you tried going on dates with _girls_ your own age?"

Sabrina shrugged, and she cleared her throat. "They don't get it," she said. "Nobody else does." 

"Marriage is a way to make women subservient," Lilith said. "It takes over your personhood, it is an act of giving your whole _self_ to a man and -"

"We aren't men," Sabrina interrupted. "Neither of us would be subservient to the other."

"I'd only be on the throne because you gave it to me," said Lilith. “Not exactly equals.” 

"I gave it to you already," Sabrina countered. "This would just be us… finalizing it. Sealing the deal."

Lilith sighed. "I would expect things from you, if we were married," she said, and one of her hands was resting on the table. "I've been neglected and dominated before. I won't have it again."

"You won't," Sabrina promised, and she reached out, taking Lilith's hand in her own. "I promise. It'll be an equal partnership, completely flat team structure."

Lilith looked down at Sabrina's hands, then up at Sabrina's face. "Somehow, I doubt that," she said. Then she paused. "How will you tell your aunts?"

"So is that a yes?" Sabrina could feel her whole face stretching into a massive grin. 

Lilith sighed, and she let go of Sabrina's hands to rub her own temples. "It means I'll think about it," she said, her tone firm. 

Sabrina's grin didn't get any smaller. "I know you'll make the right choice," she said, and she only wished she felt as confident as she sounded. 

"I tried to kill you," Lilith pointed out. 

"And it'll be in your best interest to keep me alive now," Sabrina said. Her tone was downright _sunny_ \- she had a feeling she was winning. 

"Don't you want to marry for love?" Lilith burst out.

_Who says I'm not_ , Sabrina didn't say. "You're always telling me to be more strategic and less impulsive," she said instead. 

"Proposing marriage, especially to _me_ of all people, is pretty impulsive!" Lilith said. Her voice was getting a little louder. A few people were looking over at them. 

“It’s an excellent idea,” Sabrina insisted. “It’ll establish us _both_ in the hierarchy of Hell.” 

“We’ll need to get married in the mortal realm as well,” said Lilith. 

Sabrina paused. “What?” She hadn’t expected that.

“As below, so above,” said Lilith. Her expression was unreadable. “If we only got married in Hell, it might not be viewed as binding.” She seemed to think it was a trump card of some kind.

“Well,” Sabrina said after a beat, “do you want to go to the courthouse right now?” 

Lilith nearly spilled her drink, and she set it down carefully on the table. “ _Now_? Aren’t you going to talk to your family about it?” 

“Easier to ask forgiveness than permission,” Sabrina said, and she smiled at Lilith in what she hoped was a beguiling way. “It’s really a good thing that the actual Miss Wardwell ended up moving to Tibet, or else this would be a lot more awkward.” 

“Let me make sure that I’m understanding you correctly,” said Lilith. She steepled her fingers in front of her face, her elbows on the table, and she looked squarely in Sabrina’s face. “You are suggesting that we get married - here on the mortal plane, and in Hell - so that my place on the throne is guaranteed?”

“Exactly,” Sabrina said. She nodded emphatically, to get her point across, and then she stopped, because she felt a bit like one of the bobble head dolls that Doctor Cerberus had by the cash register. 

“And what do you get out of it?” Lilith tapped her chin with her index finger, one eyebrow still arched. 

“What d’you mean, what do I get out of it?” Sabrina’s cheeks were getting pink. She stared down at her plate, so she didn’t have to meet Lilith’s icy blue eyes.

“Why would someone your age decide to get married so early, when you have so much time to find someone you _actually_ want to get married to, and start a family, and... all of that business?” Lilith flapped a hand dismissively. 

“I… I don’t want that,” Sabrina said. She cleared her throat, and she rubbed her own hands together, then brought them under the table to rest them on top of her thighs. “After everything with Harvey, and then with Nick…” She shrugged. “I don’t know if I have it in me to love someone else like that anymore.” Which was probably a lie, but Lilith didn’t have to know that. 

Lilith’s nostrils flared, and she leaned back in the booth, crossing her arms over her chest. “So you’re marrying me to run away from any possible responsibilities in the future?” She looked unimpressed.

“That implies that you’re agreeing to marry me,” said Sabrina, and she leaned further forward, almost sticking her elbow in her plate.

“I’m not,” Lilith said. “I’m just feeling it out.” 

“Well,” said Sabrina, “the offer is there.” She glanced at her watch and made a face. “But I need to go.”

“You can’t just walk away after starting a conversation like that,” Lilith said, and for once she looked taken aback. 

“I _did_ tell you that I was meeting up with Ambrose after lunch,” Sabrina reminded Lilith, as she dug around in her bag for her wallet. “But we can continue this discussion later. I’m free all summer!” 

“Aren’t… don’t you have school?” Lilith still looked lost.

“Nope,” Sabrina said cheerfully. “Graduated, remember?” 

“And college?” Lilith was still sitting at the booth, wearing a stunned expression.

Sabrina snorted. “You sound like my aunts,” she said. “Don’t worry. I’m going to college. In September. It’s currently _July_.” 

Lilith didn’t seem to have a response to that, as she watched Sabrina walk towards the cash register. Sabrina liked to think that Lilith was watching the way her hips moved, or maybe the curve of her backside moving under the fabric of her skirt… but she probably wasn’t.

It was a nice thing to think about, though, and she smiled at Doctor Cerberus as she paid for her meal (and Lilith’s meal, as a show of good faith) before heading off.

* * *

“You’re a million miles away,” Ambrose said, and Sabrina blinked at him.

“Sorry, what?” She rubbed her eyes, and stared down at the books laid out in front of her. 

“What’s on your mind, cousin?” Ambrose leaned back, his hands behind his head. “Since it’s obviously not your studies.”

“If you wanted to convince someone to do something life changing,” Sabrina said, “what would you say?”

“Well, there’s always magic,” Ambrose said. 

“I wouldn’t want to make someone make a _life changing_ choice with magic,” Sabrina said, scandalized.

“You trying to convince them in the first place is somehow better, as long as there isn’t magic?” Ambrose rested his chin on his palm, his expression thoughtful. 

Sabrina opened her mouth to argue… and then closed it, and slumped back against her chair. She tilted her head back, resting the back of her head against the back of the chair, and she sighed gustily.

“What’s this big life changing choice, anyway?” Ambrose nudged her with his foot.

She nudged him back. “I’ll tell you when it’s closer to the event,” she said. “If there is an event.”

“And if there isn’t?” 

“Then you won’t need to know.” She sat up a little straighter, and pulled the nearest grimoire to her. 

“You’re going to make me go mad with curiosity,” Ambrose protested. 

"You can be patient, Ambrose," Sabrina scolded. "How long were you stuck on house arrest?" She opened the grimoire, 

"I used up all of my patience during that," Ambrose insisted. "I'm fresh out."

"I'm sure you'll find a way to top it up," said Sabrina. 

"There _is_ a spell," Ambrose began, his expression thoughtful. "I'd have to winnow it from someone else -"

" _Never mind_ ," Sabrina said quickly. "I don't know if we know anyone who's patient enough to lose any of theirs."

"I'm sure I could find someone," said Ambrose. "I may have to go to a convent -"

"A convent? Since when are nuns known for being patient?" Sabrina leaned back into her chair, and she put her hands behind her head, staring at the ceiling. 

"They've got to be, considering how utterly _boring_ all of that nonstop prayer and devotion must be," said Ambrose. "I'm surprised more convents didn't succumb like that one did."

"Which one?" Sabrina jiggled her leg. She was full of restless energy, and wasn't sure what to do with it. _What if she says no? What if she says yes?_

"They made a movie about it, with Oliver Reed," said Ambrose. "I've got an uncut version floating around somewhere." 

"An uncut version of what?" Sabrina asked, frowning.

"The movie," said Ambrose. "Wow, you are a million miles away, aren't you?" He rested his chin on the palm of his hand, looking at her thoughtfully. "Are you sure you don't want to unburden yourself?" 

"I need to figure out what I'm gonna do first," said Sabrina. "I'll fill you in when I do." 

Ambrose shot her a smile, and it made Sabrina's chest get tight. "You can always tell me anything, Sabrina," he told her, his tone gentle. "You know that, right?"

She nodded. "I know," she said quietly. "I just need to figure this out first." 

"I wish you luck with it, then," said Ambrose.

"I'm gonna need all the luck I can get," Sabrina mumbled, thinking about Lilith's steely expression. 

Ambrose raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything else.

* * *

"So I thought about your offer," said Lilith, a week later. She was sitting on a bench outside the library, her elbow on her thigh.

Sabrina jumped, put a hand over her racing heart. "Where did you come from?" She hated how her voice squeaked, and just how hard she was blushing.

"Hell," said Lilith. "Where else would I come from?" She gave Sabrina a slow smile, no doubt intending to be menacing. She was wearing an old fashioned raincoat, the kind of thing that Sabrina had seen Humphrey Bogart wearing in _Casablanca_ , and her hands were in her pockets. 

"I just, uh... I didn't see you come in. Teleport in." Sabrina cleared her throat, and she sat down on the bench with Lilith. "So you were thinking about my offer to get married?"

"I was thinking about your offer," Lilith agreed. She let the silence hang, until Sabrina finally broke it. 

"What were you thinking about it, specifically?" Sabrina's leg was jiggling again.

"I still think you're doing this impulsively," said Lilith. "And I don't understand why that has somehow led you to asking me to marry you."

"Well, like I said -" Sabrina began.

"You don't have to give me the spiel again," Lilith interrupted. "I fully believe that you believe what you're saying." 

"So you're agreeing?" Sabrina prompted.

"If you want to get married, we'll need to get married in the mortal realm," said Lilith.

"Yeah, we agreed on that," said Sabrina. "I, uh, I actually looked it up, and we're gonna need to make an appointment to get married in city hall, but -"

"If we're going to get married in the mortal realm as well as in Hell," Lilith interrupted, "I want rings." 

"Oh," said Sabrina. She wasn't sure why she was so surprised at that - it wasn't outlandish to expect a ring, when you were getting married. 

Maybe some small part of her hadn't expected to get much beyond her foot in the door. 

"But," Lilith continued, "I wouldn't want just _any_ rings." She made eye contact with Sabrina, and her smile was turning faintly cocky. "If we're going to get married, we should do so with your parent's wedding rings."

"My parent's wedding rings are at the bottom of the ocean somewhere," Sabrina said. Well. Not _somewhere_ \- she knew where her parent's bodies were. She and Nick had marked it carefully on the map, when they were retrieving her father's manifesto. The map was now folded up carefully, and hidden at the bottom of her sock drawer. 

There was something terrifying and... comforting, about knowing where, exactly her parent's bones were. About knowing that they were still intact, even though there were so many fish and who knew what else down there that probably would have scattered them years and years ago. 

"Well," said Lilith, "that's what I require." 

“And if I get them, you’ll marry me?” Sabrina tried to keep the hope out of her voice. This was supposed to be a thing being done for political reasons. Not because she wanted it.

"I'll definitely consider it," said Lilith.

Sabrina smiled at her, and she probably needed to tone it down, to make it less _obvious_ , but how could she? 

"I'll start on the spell tonight," she told Lilith.

"You do that," Lilith said coolly. Her expression was unreadable, but she met Sabrina's gaze, and one eyebrow went up. 

* * *

It was a complicated spell. An incredibly complicated, fiddly spell that involved several weeks worth of studying, and a good deal of practice.

"Do I even want to know," asked Ambrose, as Sabrina made a frustrated noise and dropped another old gold coin onto the grass beside her. "Or is this some new get rich scheme?"

"I'm trying to find something in particular," said Sabrina, "and I know the specific spot where I'm looking, but there's a lot between me and it." She flopped back, careful not to disturb the circle drawn around her in ash.

"So what keeps happening?" Ambrose sat cross legged, just outside the circle, his chin in his hands. 

"There is a _surprising_ amount of gold on the ocean floor," Sabrina said. "Especially that one particular spot."

Ambrose raised an eyebrow. "That one particular spot," he echoed. "What are you looking for, exactly?"

"... The spot where my parent's plane went down," said Sabrina. She rubbed her face with both hands, and she just _knew_ she was getting ash on her shirt. 

"What could you possibly be doing there?" Ambrose's expression was kinder than she expected, when she made eye contact with him. "Are you having any..." He cleared his throat, clearly a bit at a loss. Ambrose wasn't always the best at working through feelings, his own or other people's. "I know that it can be hard, realizing that you're an adult now, and your parents aren't here." He was rubbing his hands together. "I went through something similar, when I was eighteen. It can be... hard, moving through your life without them." 

Sabrina frowned. "Do you think that I'm having some kind of crisis because I've reached the age of majority?" That wasn't exactly what Sabrina had thought Ambrose was going to suggest she was doing. Quite honestly, she wasn't sure _what_ he would think. 

She did know he'd probably try to talk her out of her plans to marry Lilith, or, at the very least, tell the aunties. She wasn't ready for that just yet. 

"It wouldn't surprise me," said Ambrose. "It happens with a lot of us, with dead parents." He drew his knees up to his chest and rested his chin on top of them. "So what are you trying to do?"

"Their wedding rings," said Sabrina. "When I get married, I... I want to get married with them."

"Why is this so vitally important _now_?" Ambrose asked. 

"It just... is," said Sabrina. "I want to have them. To... to know that they're mine." She sighed, and she hated the lump in her throat. "It sounds dumb, I know, and it'll probably be difficult, since there were a bunch of people on that flight so -"

"I'll help," Ambrose said, rubbing his hands together. "Budge over."

She blinked at him. "You want to help?" She hadn't expected that.

"Sure," said Ambrose. "If nothing else, I actually remember your parents wedding rings a bit better, so we can help sift through the lot that we'll no doubt deal with."

"Lot?" Sabrina frowned. "Why would there be - oh." Her parents hadn't been the only ones on that plane. There were probably other wedding rings, other people's heirlooms and memories, hidden under all of that water. 

The lump in her throat got bigger. 

"So what spell are we doing?" Ambrose settled into the circle, as she scooted back. 

"Well," said Sabrina, and she began to explain the spell. It was easier to think about the magic than the complicated feelings that were churning around in her gut. 

* * *

It took them two hours to finally find the correct wedding rings. There was a proper pile of them, and it was Ambrose who dug through them carefully, frowning.

"I remember your father's," Ambrose murmured, and then he was holding it up. The band was thick, and there was a small pentagram etched on the inside, when he held it up. "Your mother had that added, as a surprise to him." He smiled, his expression fond. "She neglected to tell him that she was having it "cleaned," since he had taken it off to perform a ritual sacrifice, so he was very sad that he'd lost it."

Sabrina held the heavy gold in her hand, and then she closed her fingers around it and squeezed. It was still wet from the ocean, and cold. "Did he lose things a lot? My dad, I mean." 

"Not too often, no," said Ambrose. "It's one reason why he was so worried." His face went a little sadder, then. "It was when your mother was trying to get pregnant." 

"Oh," said Sabrina. 

She didn't know what it was that she was feeling, exactly, but it was bubbling up in her throat, and the tears that were dripping out of her face reminded her of the salt water on the gold. 

"Your mother's ring has an engraving as well," Ambrose said. He didn't mention her tears. "Let me... there we go." He picked up a small gold ring, and he held it up carefully. _To my beloved Diana_ was engraved inside of it.

Sabrina gave an ugly, hiccuping sob, and then Ambrose was wrapping his arms around her, his nose pressed into her temple. He held her tight, and she sobbed into the softness of his sweater. 

* * *

Sabrina sent the other rings back down to the ocean, once she had finished crying. She wasn't sure what else _to_ do with them - she couldn't exactly find the people whose rings they were, and who would she send them to, and how? 

At least they'd be resting with their original owners.

Ambrose, thankfully, didn't question her, although he did keep shooting her thoughtful looks. 

* * *

Sabrina summoned Lilith at midnight, in the woods. She made a point of showering beforehand, applying her makeup with care. She dressed carefully, choosing something that showed a little bit more leg than usual, and then she was off, her bag slung over her shoulder. Her parents wedding rings were in a small pouch, and she fancied she could hear them jingling as she walked. 

"Where are you off to?" Ambrose was lounging on a couch, he feet dangling over the arm of it, a book open on his belly.

"Just going to do a ritual," Sabrina said, keeping her tone light. "Nothing too fancy."

"You need any help? I"m always up for a ritual at the witch hour." Ambrose made no mood to get up. 

"Nah, I'll be alright," said Sabrina, and she smiled at Ambrose. "Thanks, though."

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," said Ambrose.

Sabrina snorted, making her way out towards the woods, and she tried not to 

* * *

Lilith appeared in the spell circle with a muted roar of fire and the scent of brimstone. She was still in her regalia of Hell, and the moonlight seemed to make the gold glow. 

"You can't go calling me every time you get an idea in your head, Sabrina," said Lilith. "I may have been in the middle of something."

"Were you?" Sabrina stood outside the spell circle, and she fiddled with the little velvet bag. 

"I might have been," said Lilith, and she crossed her arms across her chest. "What is it?"

"You told me that you'd consider marrying me if I got my parent's wedding rings from under the ocean," said Sabrina, and she held up the little velvet bag. "I got them."

Lilith blinked at her, eyes wide. "What?" Her face didn't wear shock very often - Sabrina hadn't seen it since she proposed to Lilith in Doctor Cerberus'. 

"My parent's wedding rings," Sabrina repeated. "You told me to get them, so that we could get married."

"Let me see them," said Lilith. 

Sabrina tossed the bag into the circle - there was a brief little sizzle of power, but Lilith held the little bag in her hand. She untied the little drawstring, and she poured the two rings into her hand. She tried not to think about Judas and his silver, although it made her stomach turn.

"So you did," Lilith said. She sounded faintly surprised. "Would you do another task, if I told you to?" The two little circles of gold seemed to shine in the palm of her hand. 

"I would," Sabrina said, and she was surprised to see that she meant it. "Unless this is all a ploy to get me to _not_ marry you," she added, as an afterthought. "Although if you don't want to marry me, you should just say that." She searched Lilith's face, trying to read the other woman's expression. 

"You're like a fairy tale prince," said Lilith. She was smiling - it was a twisted smile, but a smile nonetheless. "Would you climb a glass mountain, if I told you I'd marry you?"

"Yes," Sabrina said. "Or slay a dragon, or save seven dancing princesses, or -"

"Enough," said Lilith, holding her empty hand up. "I get your point." She sighed, and it was a very tired sigh. "What does being married _mean_ to you, Sabrina? Why do you want it so much?" She put the two rings back into the little pouch, and she sat down on the forest floor, seemingly unbothered by the loam and the pine needles that would stick to her dress.

"It means..." Sabrina sat down across from her, outside the circle. She sat cross-legged, and she rested her chin on her elbow. "It means that I'll have your back, and you'll have mine," she said. "It means that you have a right to the throne, and I know that you'll always back me up, here or in Hell." She took a deep breath. "You've been alone for so long, Lilith. I know you... served my father, but that's not the same. And I don't want you to _serve_ me. I want you to be my partner. My equal." She wasn't sure where all of this was coming from. She hadn't even been able to put it into words, except that the idea of marrying Lilith felt _right_ , in her bones. 

She definitely wasn't suggesting this because she actually wanted to get married. Because she wanted to be Lilith's wife, she wanted to have a wedding, she wanted to wear a ring on her finger and know that Lilith wore the other ring. Those weren’t things she wanted, and if she repeated that often enough it would be true, right? She wanted... she wanted a lot of things, some of them tender and complicated enough that she didn't want to look at them too closely, for fear they'd pop like soap bubbles. 

"You know what happened to my first husband," Lilith said. Her eyes were very hard, and they seemed to reflect the moonlight like two little coins. 

"I wouldn't be your husband," said Sabrina. "I'd be your wife. Big difference there." She smiled, and Lilith raised an eyebrow. 

"I'm going to live longer than you are," said Lilith. "Are you sure you want to consign me to being a widow?" 

"Well," said Sabrina, "when I die, I'm probably going to Hell, right?" 

"At the rate that you're going as of late, I wouldn't put any bets on wherever you're going to end up," said Lilith. She sounded downright _resigned_. "Or if you'll end up anywhere."

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Sabrina said, possibly with more cheer than was necessary. The whole conversation she'd had with Prudence before the Feast of Feasts still rattled around in her head sometimes. 

"I see," Lilith said, her tone unreadable. 

"So there you go," Sabrina said, "in regards to... us." She sighed, drumming her fingers on her knee. "I know... I'm not your first choice for this kind of thing, what with my father. I know you wouldn't want to get married, normally. But..." She swallowed, the lump in her throat suddenly bigger. "But I know you've always watched over me. And I want to return the favor." Lilith had always seemed so lonely, all on her own. 

Another thing they had in common.

"With marriage," said Lilith. 

"With a commitment," Sabrina said, her tone firm. "A promise."

Lilith sighed, and the sigh sounded as old as she was. "I want to get married in the mortal world first," she told Sabrina, and her voice was quiet. "Certain contracts are more binding than others."

Sabrina's heart sped up. "So you're saying yes?" There was no way this was happening. She'd hoped, in her heart of hearts, that Lilith would say yes, but she hadn't expected it. 

She wasn't sure why she'd chased it this hard, all things considered. 

"I suppose I am," said Lilith. She met Sabrina's eye, tilting her head back in a challenge. "This isn't permanent, you understand? Even in the mortal world, marriages can end. The rules for Hell are... trickier, but it can happen."

"I'll be the best wife ever," Sabrina promised, her voice was high and breathless. She would have been embarrassed at just how excited she sounded, but... well, she was getting married.

She was _getting married_. 

"Of course you will be," Lilith said, and she sounded resigned. "So how are we doing this?"

"Well," said Sabrina, "we can, um. I can make an appointment at the courthouse, and we'll have to fill out some paperwork. And, um, and have witnesses. I can provide the witnesses. And then..." Sabrina took a deep breath. "Then we can tell the aunties."

"They're going to be thrilled about this," Lilith said dryly. "Have you told them of your plans?"

"Not yet," said Sabrina. "I will. After. I know they'll try to talk me out of it."

"If you know they'll try to talk you out of it, why are you doing it in the first place?" Lilith asked. 

"Because," Sabrina said, "it's important." _I had a crush on Miss Wardwell, and whatever I feel for you is more complicated than that, but the thought of not having you in my life makes my stomach hurt and my chest ache_ , she didn't say. 

"That's not a very good argument," Lilith said, "but I suppose I've run out of them, so it'll do for me." She cleared her throat, and she stood up. There isn't any dignified way to brush your backside off after sitting on dirt, but Lilith at least gave a spirited attempt. 

"You don't... you don't have to, if you don't want to," Sabrina said. She stood up as well, and she crossed her arms across her chest. "I think... I mean." She was blushing. "I think it would be a good idea, but I don't want you to feel forced," she said. "I know enough about... your life, and what my father was like, and I don't want -"

"You're not your father," Lilith said, cutting off Sabrina's anxious babble. "You're many things, but you're not him." 

"Thank you," Sabrina said, then; "should I, uh, should I take the rings back?" 

"I'll keep them, for the big day," Lilith said, and it looked like she was trying not to laugh. 

"I'll summon you when, uh, when I have the date," Sabrina said. 

“Indeed,” said Lilith, and then she was gone, in a puff of flame and brimstone.

* * *

Sabrina lay in bed, her face pressed into her pillow, and she smiled a secret smile. "I'm getting married," she whispered, and she was smiling harder, rubbing her cheeks into the softness of the pillowcase. 

It was silly to be so excited about this - it wasn't as if Lilith loved her. It wasn't as if this would be the wedding of her dreams, with a flowing train, and a bouquet of red, red roses. 

She was going to the courthouse tomorrow, and then she'd reach out to Lilith and then... well. 

Sabrina rolled onto her back, and she stared at the ceiling. What was a courthouse wedding like, anyway? What was she going to need?

What was she going to _wear_?

* * *

"Would you and Roz be willing to do a thing next week?" Sabrina asked, two days later. She sat at the booth at Doctor Cerberus', and she dipped a fry in a milkshake. 

"We should be good, yeah," said Harvey. "What are we doing?"

"It's, uh... it's a bit of a surprise," said Sabrina. She drummed her fingers on the table, and then she offered Harvey a nervous smile. "I'm glad we're still friends," she told Harvey, and Harvey smiled back at her.

"I am too," he said. "Is something up, 'Brina? You seem... nervous."

"Nah, I'm fine," Sabrina said. "Just... meet me in front of the courthouse, next week." 

"Will do," said Harvey. "Got something exciting going on?"

"It's a surprise," Sabrina said.

"Lookin' forward to it," Harvey said, and he ate one of his own fries.

* * *

"So I've set the date," Sabrina said, sitting on the forest floor. "I've just got some, um, some paperwork for you to fill out." She cleared her throat, and she took the carefully printed papers out of her bag.

Lilith raised an eyebrow. "Paperwork," she echoed. She wasn't wearing her usual Queen of Hell outfit - she looked almost like she had when she was being Miss Wardwell, which was faintly eerie, and faintly thrilling.

"Yeah," said Sabrina. "You just need to fill in things like... y'know, social security number, things like that."

"Am I to assume that I'm going to be impersonating your teacher once again?" Lilith asked. 

"Unless _you_ have a last name and a social security number," Sabrina said. 

"We'll have to do it with my real name," Lillith said brusquely. "The contract won't count as binding, under magical law, if it's not me."

"Do you _have_ a last name?" Sabrina asked, her forehead wrinkling. 

"Maybe I'll just take yours," Lilith said, and Sabrina resisted the urge to press her palms against her burning cheeks. 

"You can, if you want," Sabrina said. "But you'll need your own first."

"I'm sure I can figure _something_ out," said Lilith. 

"Well," Sabrina said. "That's good." There was an awkward silence. "I, uh, I set up an appointment for us at the courthouse on Friday, at four in the afternoon. Although they said to arrive a little earlier than that, since, y'know, signing stuff, things like that."

"Are we going to have witnesses?" Lilith asked. She was drumming her fingers on her leg, and it was hard to read her expression. 

"Yeah, I took care of that, don't worry," Sabrina assured her. 

"Alright," said Lilith.

"We don't... I mean, if you really don't want to do this, we don't have to," Sabrina burst out. "I don't want you to feel forced into something against your will."

"I don't feel forced," Lilith said, in what was probably meant to be a reassuring tone. Inasmuch as Lilith was ever reassuring. "I am just... unsure as to how to go about this. It's new territory for me."

"You haven't been married before?" That seemed like a surprise, as old as Lilith was.

"Adam and I were one being," Lilith said, "before we were split." Her expression went faintly sad. "And your father... well." She cleared her throat. "So four, you said?"

"Yeah," said Sabrina. "Four."

"Well," said Lilith, "I suppose I'll see you then, with the paperwork." And then she was gone, in another burst of flame. 

* * *

"You have been positively _bouncing_ the last few days," said Aunt Zelda, as Sabrina came in for breakfast. "I heard you tossing and turning last night as well. What's gotten into you?" 

"Nothing in particular," Sabrina said. She gave Aunt Zelda a kiss on the cheek, just because she could, and then she went to hug Aunt Hilda, who was chopping up a tomato. "Life is pretty good, y'know?"

"If you... say so," said Ambrose. He was watching her with narrowed eyes. "Are you sure there isn't anything going on?"

"Absolutely _nothing_ ," Sabrina assured her family, and she only felt a tiny flare of guilt about lying to them. 

* * *

On the day of, Sabrina wore a red dress. She had been tempted to wear her mother's wedding dress, but... no. That would have Implications. And a black dress felt a little bit too much like her Dark Baptism, and this was something completely different. 

_Completely_. 

Roz and Harvey were there as well, and _shit_ , she probably should have told them to dress nicer, shouldn't she?

Oh well.

"So," said Roz, and she smiled at Sabrina, "what's the big surprise? Harvey didn't spill."

"Well," said Sabrina, and she cleared her throat. "You know the whole... Lilith being the Queen of Hell business?" 

"Yeah?" The both of them looked nervous.

"Well," said Sabrina, "I'm... doing her a bit of a favor with that."

"That's a fine way to pitch it," said Lilith from behind Sabrina, and Sabrina jumped, then put a hand over her heart.

"You startled me," she said to Lilith, looking over her shoulder and smiling. 

Lilith gave her a dry smile. "Nervous?"

"I'm doing _great_ ," Sabrina said, and was faintly surprised to find that she meant it. True, there was sweat dripping down the inside of her leg (who even knew that was a thing), and she was a little afraid she was going to throw up, but, well...

_She was getting married_. 

"So what's going on, exactly?" Roz's eyes were narrowing - she'd always been perceptive, even before the Cunning took hold of her. 

"Well," said Sabrina, and she cleared her throat. "We're getting married." 

"What," said Roz, her voice flat. Her eyes darted over to Lilith, and her frown deepened. 

Sabrina glanced over at Lilith, and she saw the other woman's smile. It wasn't a pleasant smile.

"You're marrying _her_?" Harvey indicated Lilith, then looked faintly guilty, and shoved his hands into his pockets. 

"Yes," said Sabrina. "And, um. I was hoping you'd both be witnesses." 

"You couldn't have given me a hint?" Roz asked. 

"I didn't think _you_ of all people needed hints," Sabrina said, and now she was starting to get defensive. 

Unexpectedly, Lilith's hand came out, resting on her shoulder. "I understand that it's unexpected," Lilith said, "but Sabrina has thought this through. She even managed to convince me." 

"And you just... agreed?" Harvey was looking Lilith straight in the face, and he was frowning so hard there was a line between his eyebrows. When the two of them were still together, she had pressed down on that line, smoothing it out with her thumb. 

She still wanted to do it, just a little bit. 

Impulsively, she reached out, and she grabbed Lilith's hand, squeezing their fingers together. Lilith made a surprised noise, then squeezed back. 

"Yes," Lilith said. "I did."

There was an awkward silence.

"Well," said Sabrina. "I mean, if... if you don't want to, we don't -"

"I'm happy you're sharing this with me," said Roz, and she gave Sabrina a tight hug. "I think it's kinda dumb, but you've always managed to make dumb stuff work, and I stopped questioning it a while ago."

"I _think_ that's a compliment," Sabrina said, and she cleared her throat, then wiped her face, which was suspiciously damp. "It's a pity Theo couldn't come."

"He'll be really bummed he missed this," said Harvey, and then he was hugging her too. "I can't say this is where I was imagining us, two years ago," he said, after he'd let go, "but... if you're happy, I'll help you."

"I am," Sabrina said, and she glanced over at Lilith, who was watching the proceedings with an arched eyebrow. 

"Are you?" Roz asked Lilith, and her eyes darted from Lilith's hand (which was still holding Sabrina's) to Lilith's face.

"I am positively ecstatic," Lilith said, her tone flat. 

"If you don't want to -" Sabrina began.

Lilith gave Sabrina's hand another squeeze. "I _do_ ," she said firmly. "Shall we?"

"Yeah," said Sabrina, and her mouth was very dry. "Yeah, let's... do this thing."

* * *

Sabrina and Lilith stood in front of a Justice of the Peace, and they held hands. The courtroom was empty, apart from Roz and Harvey, who were both looking nervous. 

Lilith had given her name a "Lilith Harishon," which Sabrina hadn't ever heard before. She was able to produce a driver's license and a passport when requested, though, and it passed muster.

"You know," the Justice had said, "you look just like -"

"Mary Wardwell," Lilith interrupted. "She's a cousin of mine. Women in my family tend to resemble each other. Something about the mother's genes."

The Justice had smiled, and then... Sabrina didn't entirely remember what happened. The Justice was speaking, and Lilith was responding, and now Sabrina had to respond too. "I do," she said, because that was what she was expected to say, she'd caught on to that, at least.

"You may exchange rings," said the Justice, and Lilith was reaching into a pocket of her dress, and she was... taking out the little velvet bag. She handed a ring to Sabrina, and then she was taking Sabrina's hand in her own. It all felt... orchestrated, as if this was something that Lilith had done before. 

Her own hands were shaking, and Lilith squeezed her fingers, before putting the ring on her left ring finger, carefully. 

It was her mother's wedding ring. Sabrina looked down at it, and was faintly surprised to see that it fit her perfectly. But now she was holding Lilith's hand, and she was slipping the ring onto it in one smooth motion.

They were saying words - they were probably important words, and Sabrina probably should have remembered them, but she was staring deep into Lilith's eyes, and she was speaking the words as well. 

"With this ring," she said, and she slid her father's wedding ring onto Lilith's finger, "I thee wed." 

"Do you, Sabrina Spellman, promise to love, honor, and cherish Lilith? In sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, until the end of your days?"

"I do," Sabrina said. Her voice was very loud in her ears.

The Justice was speaking to Lilith now, and it all seemed to fade away. She was staring into Lilith's eyes, which were bluer than blue, and then Lilith was saying "I do," her red lips forming the words.

"I now pronounce you wife and wife," said the Justice. "You may kiss the bride."

_I hadn't thought of this part_ , Sabrina thought dazedly. _How did I not think about this part?_ She leaned forward, standing up a little bit on her tiptoes, and then her lips were pressed against Lilith's. Lilith's lipstick was waxy, and her fingers were cool on Sabrina's face.

When they broke apart, the room was spinning, and Sabrina was breathing a little harder than she probably should have been.

"Well," said Lilith, "wife, I do believe we have some paperwork to sign." She was holding Sabrina's hand now, and maybe it was a little tighter than would be comfortable, but it was perfect, anchoring Sabrina to the Earth.

"I guess we do, yeah," said Sabrina. "Although, uh, didn't we already fill out some of it?"

"You're going to find that a lot of adulthood involves filling out a lot of paperwork," said Lilith. She laced their fingers together, and her thumb was passing over the back of Sabrina's hand. "But don't worry. I'll help you." She shot Sabrina a thoughtful look. "I suppose that's partially what marriage is, isn't it?"

Roz and Harvey were signing statements, that they'd witnessed. Harvey glanced up at Sabrina, and his eyes went to their joined hands. "So how have your aunts reacted to this?" He asked. 

Sabrina licked her lips. "Well," she said.

"You did _tell_ them, didn't you?" Roz asked.

Sabrina shot a glance at Lilith, who had one eyebrow up. "Better to ask forgiveness than permission?" 

"This is going to be fun," Lilith sighed, but she was still holding Sabrina's hand. 

* * *

"You did _what_?" Aunt Zelda seemed to have gone white from shock.

" _We_ got married," Sabrina said. She was standing in the kitchen, with Lilith next to her. The other woman - _my wife_ , Sabrina thought giddily - wasn't saying anything, but she had her arms crossed across her chest. 

"And by married you mean..." Aunt Hilda said.

"We went to the courthouse," Sabrina said, and then she pulled out the marriage certificate, and handed it to Aunt Zelda.

"So this is what you were planning," said Ambrose, and he was smiling widely, in a way that made Sabrina slightly nervous. "I'll be honest, I'd never guessed it'd be something like _this_."

"That's our Sabrina," Lilith said, "always full of surprises."

"And you _agreed_ to this?" Aunt Zelda was frowning as she read over the marriage certificate. 

"I did," Lilith said, inclining her head. 

"In what universe would the Mother of all demons consent to marrying a teenage half mortal?" Aunt Zelda seemed to be getting worked up, her knuckles turning white.

"This one, evidently," Lilith said dryly. "I'd like my marriage certificate back, if it's all the same to you." She gestured with an imperious flick of her fingers, then; "auntie." 

"I guess we are technically her aunts now," Aunt Hilda said. She looked faintly shell shocked. 

"I refuse to be called "Auntie" by someone who is older than written language," said Aunt Zelda, but she handed the marriage certificate back. 

"I'll definitely keep that in mind," said Lilith. She wrapped an arm around Sabrina's waist, and Sabrina leaned into the warmth of the other woman, and tried to keep herself from grinning. 

"Why in _Heaven_ would you consider marrying _her_?" Aunt Zelda made an expansive gesture, and Sabrina wasn't sure if she was being indicated, or Lilith.

"Well," said Sabrina, "this will ensure Lilith's place on the throne, as my consort. My wife." She liked saying that entirely too much. Her _wife_. She had a wife now. "And it'll give her an air of legitimacy, which will solidify her place."

"And you agreed to this," Aunt Zelda said, incredulous.

"I did," Lilith said. 

"And what do you get out of this, Sabrina?" Aunt Hilda had her own arms crossed, and she was looking... well, Sabrina wasn't sure what her aunt's face was doing, but it was making her feel something.

"It ensures my place as well," Sabrina said quickly. "There won't be anyone trying to come after me to marry me or kill me, since they know it'll bring down Lilith's wrath. I may be the heir of Lucifer, but my wife is the queen of Hell." That same excited little shiver at _my wife_ , was that ever going to get old? "And it frees up my mind, so I don't have to worry about dating while I'm in college."

"Sabrina, you're eighteen," said Ambrose. "It's a very big decision, to be making so early."

"And my Dark Baptism wasn't? Joining the Church of Night?" Sabrina fired back.

"That's _different_ ," said Aunt Zelda. "That's tradition."

"Girls much younger than Sabrina were getting married," Lilith pointed out, "not even that long ago."

"Your idea of not that long ago is not exactly _normal_ ," snapped Aunt Zelda.

"Neither is yours, by mortal standards," said Lilith. "And it _is_ official." She waved the marriage certificate, and the stiff paper rattled. "It's all a matter of perspective, really."

"So are you going to move to Hell?" Ambrose asked. He was still grinning.

"I, uh... no," Sabrina said. "I'm still going to college. In the mortal world. After that... well, we'll see." 

"I see," said Aunt Zelda. She sighed, and it was a very long, tired sound. "I think this is a horrible idea," she said, "but it's been done." 

"We do still need to get married in Hell," Lilith pointed out. "As above, so below does mean there will be a... below."

"Right," said Sabrina. 

"So are we invited to this next one?" Aunt Hilda asked. She was still looking hurt.

"Of course," Sabrina said. "I'd love for you to be there." How they were all going to get to Hell safely was a headache that she was going to deal with later. 

"I wish we could have been there for this one," Ambrose said. "You didn't even think to invite me?" He was putting on a theatrical pout, but there was some real emotion behind it.

"I'm sorry," Sabrina said. "I just -"

"Knew we would talk you out of this foolishness," Aunt Zelda interrupted.

"Would start an argument," Sabrina said, and she tried to keep her tone mild. "Which I wanted to avoid, seeing as I was getting married, and I want it to be a happy occasion."

"You didn't seem to mind causing a scene when the day I was married," Aunt Zelda said. 

"You were marrying someone who wasn't good for you," Sabrina said, "and I'm sorry," she added, before her aunt had a chance for a rebuttal. "But... I know I've made the right choice." She slid her hand into Lilith's, lacing their fingers together.

"Are you happy?" Aunt Hilda asked, from her spot by the counter. "With your choice, I mean." 

Sabrina glanced sidelong at Lilith, tracing the sharp outline of her profile with her eyes. She met her aunt's eyes, and she nodded. "Yeah," she said. "Yeah, I am." 

"Well," said Aunt Hilda, and she clapped her hands together, "that's all that matters, then." There was an air of finality to the way she said it. "I'll make us some dinner," she added, "although it's hard to make a cake on such a short notice."

"Oh," said Sabrina. She wasn't sure what she had been expecting, but this wasn't it.

"Lilith," said Aunt Hilda, "be a love and peel some potatoes?" 

There was an audible silence. Aunt Hilda had just asked the Mother of Demons to... peel potatoes.

"You'll need to show me where to find the knife," said Lilith. 

"That's easy enough," said Aunt Hilda. Apparently, family was family, and family peeled potatoes, or chopped onions. And now Lilith was family. 

Sabrina sat down heavily, and Ambrose stood up, patting her on the shoulder. "Congratulations," he said. "How does it feel to be a married woman?"

"... dizzy," said Sabrina, which wasn't what she had meant to say.

Ambrose laughed.

"Sabrina," said Aunt Hilda, "come chop these onions."

"Yes, Aunt Hilda," said Sabrina, and she stood up, wiping her sweaty hands. At least things were going somewhat back to normal, right?

* * * 

After the meal - the meal, which included a frankly pretty impressive strawberry shortcake, which Aunt Hilda had whipped up last minute - Lilith and Aunt Hilda were washing dishes. It was odd, to see the normally so... imperious Lilith with yellow dish gloves on her hands, but she was holding conversation with Hilda about... something. Sabrina wasn't paying attention to the specifics. She was stuffed, and she needed some air. 

She was leaning against the railing when a voice from the shadows made her jump. "What's the real reason you married Lilith?"

Sabrina looked over, and saw the glowing, cherry red of the tip of Aunt Zelda's cigarette. 

"What d'you mean, the real reason?" Sabrina rested her elbows on the porch railing, staring off over the graveyard.

"You and I both know you don't have a political bone in your body," said Aunt Zelda. She came out of the shadows, to stand next to Sabrina, and she took another drag of her cigarette. "Do you love her?"

Sabrina looked down at her hands, up at the stars, over at her aunt, whose face was cast into sharp contrast from the light of the window and the darkness around them. "I think I do," she said, because she'd never been a good liar, especially not to Aunt Zelda. Especially about anything important. 

"And you were willing to stake your future on that?" Aunt Hilda sounded incredulous. "I know you're impulsive, Sabrina, but this seems like a bit much, even for you."

"I just... I want to be safe," Sabrina said, and what was she even _saying_? "I... I want to know that she'll be there. I know that a piece of paper or a ring won't guarantee that she'll be there, or that anyone will be there, but I..." She trailed off, and she rubbed her face. She was remarkably close to crying, and she wasn't sure why. 

Aunt Zelda wrapped an arm around Sabrina's waist, and Sabrina sighed, leaning into her aunt. "I still think this was a remarkably stupid idea," Aunt Zelda said, "but I do support your right to make stupid choices."

"That was almost a ringing endorsement," Sabrina said, and the laugh she gave was watery, but still a laugh. "So, like... how does a wedding in Hell work, anyway?"

"Well," said Aunt Zelda, "for starters, there's a sacrifice..." 

* * *

Two days later, Sabrina stood in an atrium in Pandemonium, and she tried not to panic.

She'd been to Hell a few times, visiting as an emissary, and it didn't get any more pleasant. The dress she was wearing didn't help, the gathered legions of Hell didn’t help, none of them helped. It was worse than the courthouse, and for the first time, she wondered if this was a good idea.

... Well, no, the first time she'd wondered, she had been lying in bed after eating dinner with her family. She'd kissed her wife on the cheek, while out on the porch and said "see you later," and then Lilith had been gone in a rush of flames, and it had been Sabrina, standing alone and twisting the ring on her finger.

But now she was in a dress. A very fancy dress, that at least wasn't gold. Lilith had better taste than her father (her biological father? She wasn't sure on the terminology in these cases), and Sabrina had left it all up to her. So it was a red dress, and a bouquet of black roses, their petals like velvet. Her dress had a train - Lilith had handed it to her, and then waltzed out of the room.

"Ordinarily, I'm the one who'd help you get dressed," Lilith called, "but it's bad luck for the groom to see the bride."

"We're both brides," Sabrina had called back, but then the silent servants had come, to lace her into her corset and put her makeup on. It had all been very... ritualistic, but not any ritual that Sabrina knew about. She was letting Lilith take the lead. 

_We're already married_ , she thought, as she twisted her mother's wedding ring - her wedding ring - around and around her finger. _We just need to impress the dominions of Hell, and they're never impressed anyway, so we'll be fine. Absolutely fine._

The music had started to play, and the doors were opening, onto the great throne room. There was a carpet rolled out in front of her, and her feet sank into it when she stepped forward. It was a fancy red carpet, and although the red was deeper than her dress. She looked up and forwards, and there was Lilith, standing in front of a podium in a dress that was blacker than black. 

She turned to look at Sabrina, and the line of her profile cut through the light like a knife. Her face was stark in its beauty, and it made Sabrina's chest tight. _That's my wife_ , she thought, and then she was smiling. She could hear people whispering around her, and she chose to ignore it. She kept her eyes on Lilith, blocking out everyone else in the room. 

"You look nice," Sabrina said, and her tongue felt clumsy and thick. 

Lilith smiled. "One does their best," she said. She didn't have anything in her hands, and they were clasped in front of her. Sabrina could just make out the glint of gold, and it felt like her stomach was full of butterflies. 

_She kept the ring on_ , Sabrina thought. _We didn't talk about rings. We should have talked about rings. We didn't talk about so many things, I should make a list._

Sabrina was aware, in a distant sort of way, that she was babbling internally. It wasn't as if she was the sort of person who normally made lists. Maybe she'd start. Marriage was a thing that changed people, maybe that would be one of those things that changed, she'd become more organized and -

Lilith's warm hand rested on top of Sabrina's, and Sabrina realized with a start that she was on the dais now. When had that happened?

"Breathe," said Lilith, and her voice was quiet.

"I am," Sabrina said, but she held her bouquet with one hand, taking Lilith's in her other one and squeezing her fingers, before letting go. 

Then it was just... ritual. Sabrina was paying attention... sort of. Most of her attention was on Lilith, standing beside her. Some of it was similar to the Satanic weddings that Sabrina had been to in the past. There was the sacrifice. There was the knife, cutting each of their hands. There was the cup, full of wine and blood, and each of them took a sip.

And then they were kissing, and they were both turning to face the crowd. Sabrina was in a bit of a trance as she did it, but she bowed to the collected masses, and then the throng was parting like the sea. 

_Probably the wrong metaphor to use right now_ , Sabrina thought dazedly. _Wouldn't go over well with this crowd._

"And now, for the wedding night," said... someone. Someone important. He was wearing a lot of black velvet, and that usually meant important, from what Sabrina had seen.

Lilith was speaking, but she was still holding Sabrina's hand. Something about appointing a certain person in her stead, as she would be busy, and was _not_ to be disturbed. There was some tittering, and that sent a nervous bolt through Sabrina. Was it nerves? She wasn't sure. 

She held on to Lilith's hand just a little bit tighter, as the two of them made their way towards the great doors of the bedroom, people were beginning to talk, moving about the big room. It had the air of the end of a play, when all the dramatics are over. She caught sight of her aunts, and of Ambrose, all of them standing and looking faintly ill at ease. They all gave her smiles - Ambrose gave her a thumbs up.

And then she was turning around, and they were walking into the bedroom. The doors closed behind them, and it was ponderous, deep noise. 

"So," said Lilith, and she let go of Sabrina's hand, rubbing her own hands together. "How shall we do this?"

Sabrina licked her lips, and she set her bouquet down. "I...," she began.

"I know you're not going to want to have sex with me," Lilith cut in. "That isn't strictly necessary, although it would make things easier, as far as contracts go. I can take the left side, you can take the right side?" 

"That's not true," Sabrina burst out.

Lilith blinked. "What?" 

"It's not true, that I wouldn't want to..." Sabrina trailed off, cleared her throat. "I'd like to," she said. "With you." 

"You don't look exactly thrilled," Lilith said dryly. 

"It isn't you," Sabrina assured her. "Not at all."

Lilith cupped Sabrina's face in one of her warm hands, and she kissed Sabrina's mouth with her own. It tasted like lipstick, and a little bit like brimstone. Her fingers were going to the curve of Sabrina's ear, and her other hand was resting on Sabrina's corseted waist. 

Sabrina kissed her back with a hungry intensity that was honestly surprising, pressing as close to the other woman as she could, with all the stiff, confining fabric between them. She let her bouquet fall to the floor, and she rested her hands on Lilith's hips. They were pressed together now, as tight as they could get, and Lilith's tongue was in Sabrina's mouth.

She was an excellent kisser - a better kisser than Harvey, or than Nick. When they broke apart, Sabrina was panting, her eyes glassy. "I... does that prove it to you?"

"That is a good sign, yes," Lilith said. She was clearly trying to sound dry herself, but she looked faintly ruffled. 

There was a cackle of laughter from outside the door, and Sabrina stiffened. 

Lilith looked down at her, and she was frowning. "Are you sure you want this?" Her voice was surprisingly gentle.

"I do," Sabrina said, and she licked her lips. "I know that virginity is old magic, like marriage," she added, "and... I also want it." There was a distant scream, and she went stiff again. 

"Just...?" 

"Maybe... not here. If it's possible." She cleared her throat, and she was blushing all the way to her ears. 

"Well," said Lilith, "I'm certain a honeymoon can be arranged." She took Sabrina's hand, and then she was doing... some kind of magic. It was old and it was complicated - it tingled across Sabrina's skin, then sank in like water into a sponge. The atmosphere got hot, hotter than before, until Sabrina was afraid she would _melt_ , but it kept going, and there was pressure. Hard, intense pressure that was going to pop her like a grape until...

They came up for air... outdoors. Outdoors, on Earth, and the air smelled like pine needles and soil. The sky was big and wide around them, the stars like diamonds on velvet.

"Where are we?" Sabrina looked around her, at all trees, which looked downright sinister in the moonlight. When had it gotten to be night? She always forgot how time moved differently in Hell. 

"Germany," said Lilith. 

Sabrina blinked. "Not Greendale?" _Have I ever left the United States? Other than going to Hell, which doesn't really... count._

"I thought you might want to go someplace... interesting, for your - our - wedding night," said Lilith. She cleared her throat, and she seemed faintly embarrassed. It wasn't a look her face wore easily. "If you'd rather just go back home to your aunts, I'm sure -"

Sabrina stood on her tiptoes (Lilith was wearing _very_ high heels), and kissed her wife on the mouth. It was a quick brush of lips on lips, before she pulled back, but she could see Lilith's eyes go wide in the moonlight. "This is great," she promised Lilith. "Just, uh, not what I expected."

"And what did you expect?" Lilith began to walk through the forest, navigating expertly. Sabrina was having to be careful, and she was faintly worried about snagging her dress on something.

"I... have no idea," Sabrina admitted. "I just thought I'd keep going until I figured it out."

"That does seem to be your life philosophy, doesn't it?" Lilith had stopped in a clearing, and was frowning.

"It's served me pretty well so far," Sabrina said. 

"It's gotten you into a good deal of trouble," Lilith pointed out.

"But it also got me out of it," Sabrina pointed out.

"I can't really argue with that," said Lilith. She was frowning at the clearing, and then she was beginning to mumble to herself. The smell of magic, like ashes of roses and hot metal, washed over her. It was a strong enough spell that Sabrina staggered back... and then there was a house in front of her.

It wasn't a very big house - there was a flickering light that suggested a fire, and smoke was curling out of the chimney. It all had a... gingerbread sort of look to it, and Sabrina glanced sidelong at Lilith, frowning. "Did you know this was here?"

"I built it," Lilith said, "a long time ago." She smiled, and it wasn't a nice smile. "You've probably heard the story about it." 

"Oh," said Sabrina, then; "didn't they roast you in your own oven?" 

"I got better," Lilith said. "Although it wasn't actually _real_ gingerbread, just an illusion."

"Right," said Sabrina. She swallowed, and her mouth was very dry as they made their way towards the door to the cottage.

"This area has a lot of history," said Lilith. "Mortals used to believe that there were witch meetings up here."

"Were there?" Sabrina stepped into the little cottage - it smelled like wood smoke and a little like the pine outside. Sabrina shivered, her heels clicking on the wooden floor. There was a big bed in one corner, and a big table in the other. There was indeed a little kitchen, with a sizable stove.

"Oh, now and then," she said. "Witches never tend to stay in one place for more than a few centuries." She smiled, and the shadows were faintly eerie on her face. "Things are in cycles. I'm sure this mountain will be _the_ place to be, in enough time."

The weight of Lilith's _age_ seemed to crash down on Sabrina - she was used to being around her aunts, with their (unnatural to mortals) long lifespan. She realized, with some surprise, that she was shaking, and she clutched at herself, squeezing her own arms. She didn't doubt her decision; she knew it was the right thing, down in her guts. But the enormity of it seemed to be crashing down on her, like a piano to the head.

"Sabrina?" Lilith was in front of her now, and Lilith's hands were resting gently on her hips. "Are you alright?"

Sabrina turned her face up, and she kissed Lilith with a desperation that shocked her. She was clutching at the front of Lilith's dress with both hands, and then Lilith was pulling her closer, and they were pressed together tightly. Sabrina could feel Lilith's heart beating desperately, and that sent a rush of heat through her, down between her legs. 

_She wants me. She wants this._ It was enough to make her head spin.

"We should get you out of all of that," Lilith said, when they pulled apart. She plucked at Sabrina's sleeve, and Sabrina shivered. 

"There's buttons in the back," she said, and her voice came out quieter than she meant it to. "If you want to, um." 

Lilith pressed a kiss to Sabrina's forehead, and then she was coming around, to begin unbuttoning the little row of pearls, which went all the way down to Sabrina's waist. It was a slow process, and Sabrina was acutely aware of how Lilith's breath tickled the back of her neck, and the warmth of the other woman's body. She watched the flicker of firelight on the ceiling. There was cooler air on her back now, and then the dress was pooling around her hips. 

"Step out," Lilith said, and Sabrina did so, leaving the dress in a heap on the floor. "You can take your shoes off as well," Lilith said, and Sabrina kicked them off. It was vulnerable, to stand there in her slip, her corset, her stockings. There was a nervous moment, as Lilith grabbed the laces of the corset, and then there was the sensation of being released. 

Lilith unlaced the corset carefully, reaching her arms around Sabrina to unhook it. When it was pulled away, Sabrina stood there in the middle of the cabin, in just her panties and stockings, and Lilith pressed against her back. There were gentle fingers tracing along the marks up her sides, and then Lilith was pushing the hair away from the base of her neck, and she was shivering. 

Sabrina was reminded, abruptly, of when Harvey had searched for her witch's mark, and she sighed, leaning back into Lilith's warm body. She bit her lip to keep from making any embarrassing noises, as Lilith's mouth trailed down from her ear to her neck, mouthing along the spot where her neck met her shoulder. It was sending prickles all up and down her spine, and she shuddered, her mouth falling open.

"You don't have to give me your virginity," Lilith murmured, and her breath was very hot in Sabrina's ear. "It isn't required, to marry me."

"Hm?" Sabrina was losing the plot, as Lilith's fingers pressed into the spaces between her ribs, gentle and sending goosebumps up and down her spine. She shuddered, her toes curling in her stockings, and she reached back, clutching at Lilith's dress.

"This is a big magic," Lilith said, and her voice was very soft, ticklish in Sabrina's ear. "Big, and old. Simple. Important." Her hands were moving up, towards Sabrina's breasts. The very tips skated over the bottoms of them. 

"I thought you said it was... simple," Sabrina mumbled. 

"Simple doesn't mean not important." Lilith's hands were on Sabrina's breasts. Her thumbs pressed against Sabrina's nipples, circling them. "Fire is simple. A hurricane is simple." She nipped Sabrina's ear, and Sabrina melted back against her, mouth falling open and eyes squeezing shut. 

"Well," said Sabrina, and then she whimpered, as her nipples were twisted. " _Please_." 

"Please, what?" Lilith's tone was almost gentle. She twisted Sabrina's nipples in opposite directions, her grip sure and firm. Then she plucked them, and she nipped at Sabrina's shoulder.

"Please," Sabrina gasped, "don't stop." 

"Anything my wife wants," Lilith said, and that shouldn't have sent shivers up Sabrina's spine. She was so wet, so empty, and she was so _aware _of it, aware in ways that she wasn't used to being.__

__Sabrina leaned heavily against Lilith, and one of Lilith's hands was wrapped around Sabrina's waist now, holding her close._ _

__"We should probably move you to the bed, to do this properly," Lilith murmured, and Sabrina let herself be led to the bed, pushed onto it, so that she was sitting down. She looked up at Lilith, and then she made a surprised noise, as Lilith bent down in front of her._ _

__Sabrina could see straight down the front of Lilith's dress, and she licked her lips. _I want to feel her breasts in my mouth,_ Sabrina thought, and the vividness of the thought was enough to make her stomach clench. "Can this be... off?" Sabrina tugged at Lilith's dress, and then she was standing up awkwardly, and she was reaching around, to unzip Lilith. "Please. I want..."_ _

__Lilith took Sabrina's hands in her own, and she kissed the back of them. "You don't have to," she said._ _

__"I know," Sabrina said, "but I do. Want. You. I..." She laughed, self conscious of her near nudity and the strangeness of the scene. Of the strangeness of the whole situation, where she was in a cottage on a mountain in Germany about to lose her virginity to a woman who looked just like her favorite teacher._ _

__"You?" Lilith looked at her, and Sabrina couldn't understand whatever was playing across her face._ _

__"I want you," Sabrina said. "However you'll have me."_ _

__"Well," said Lilith, "how can I turn down an offer like that?"_ _

__* * *_ _

__Sabrina was very careful, as she unzipped Lilith. She made a point of undoing Lilith's hair as well, and she watched the it cascade down her wife's back in dark waves. When she pressed against Lilith's back, Lilith's head lolled back, onto her shoulder. The firelight made everything flicker, and seemed to add an unreal element to it all._ _

__Sabrina remembered it in snapshots._ _

__Her mouth on Lilith's mouth, her hands in Lilith's hair, the two of them belly to belly, their nipples kissing. Lilith's heart beating against her own, as they stood in the cottage, and the sound of their harsh breathing._ _

__Lying on the bed, Lilith straddling her, the wetness of Lilith's cunt against her thigh, Lilith's fingers inside of her. Lilith's eyes on her face, as Sabrina grabbed desperately at the sheets._ _

__Lilith's forehead against her own, lying on their sides, and Sabrina's fingers sinking into the soft, wet heat of Lilith's cunt, Lilith's breath harsh and hot across her face._ _

__And then time came snapping back, as the last remnants of her orgasm (and when had she _actually_ come, how did she lose track of that?) left her, and she was left cuddled up to Lilith, their legs entangled. _ _

__"I've never been married before," said Lilith, and she took Sabrina's hand in her own, interlacing their fingers._ _

__"Well, neither have I," said Sabrina. Lilith's fingers were longer than hers, and much bonier. They fitted well between Sabrina's, though, and she liked the way her fingers were slick from being inside of Lilith, and Lilith's fingertips were pruned up from being inside of her. "Weren't you and Adam..."_ _

__"We weren't married," said Lilith, and she went quiet. Sabrina was just about to figure out how to untangle their legs so she could go to the bathroom (was there even a bathroom here, or was she going to have to find an outhouse?) when Lilith spoke again. "Me and Adam were... one being," she said. "One being, who were then separated. And then... well, then I left." She held on a little tighter to Sabrina's hand. "And then your father..."_ _

__"Is gone," Sabrina interrupted, before Lilith could finish. "He won't ever hurt you again. I promise." She kissed Lilith’s hand, and Lilith sighed._ _

__“I don’t think you can keep that promise,” she said, her tone gentle, “but the thought is appreciated.”_ _

__“He won’t ever touch my wife,” Sabrina said, her tone fervent, and Lilith kissed her, right on the nose._ _

__“I’ll remember that,” Lilith said, and her fingers squeezed Sabrina’s a little bit tighter._ _

__“Good,” Sabrina said, her voice quiet, and then she kissed Lilith again, right on the corner of her mouth._ _

__It felt like as much of a promise as the gold rings on their fingers, and here and now, that was all that mattered._ _


End file.
